


Circus Star

by Allerleirauh



Category: Sapphire and Steel
Genre: Alternate Universe - Circus, Community: trope_bingo, Multi
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-03-29
Updated: 2013-03-29
Packaged: 2017-12-06 21:26:22
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,350
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/740332
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Allerleirauh/pseuds/Allerleirauh
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Lady Zephyr has convinced the ringmaster to change their order of appearances. Naturally the circus’ illusionist and strong man aren’t too happy about it and come to confront her about her shady actions.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Circus Star

**Author's Note:**

> A circus tale featuring Lady Zephyr, a mentalist, the Spectacular Silva, an illusionist, the Mighty Mister Iron, a strongman

“You bitch!”

Uttered in a low growl and coming from the open door of her trailer, the words made Zephyr spin on her heels. She had been in the middle of readying herself for her performance, putting on a dab of rouge and sparkling powder. For a second she just stood there, in front of her dressing mirror, rendered speechless by the utter crudeness of the words that had been flung at her by the man now lurking on her doorstep.

It wasn’t that she had not expected this confrontation, but the audacity of her colleague barging in on her like this and accusing her in such a coarse manner was too shocking to fathom.

Before she could come up with a sufficiently cutting reply, however, someone else appeared in her doorway and joined the first intruder.

“Good gracious, man. You’re such a clot sometimes,” the newcomer uttered in a slightly hushed voice, as if even giving the reproach was embarrassing him. Just like the first man he stopped right on the doorstep to her trailer’s interior.

Commencing with a deep bow towards Zephyr, he said, “Madame, please accept my humblest apologies for my colleague’s lack of manners. Alas, he sometimes does sound like the barn he was brought up in.” He threw another disapproving frown in his colleague’s direction before returning his gaze to Zephyr, once again putting on an apologetic smile.

For a while she chose to remain silent, taking her time to study her two colleagues. Mister Iron, the first arrival, slender and slight and as wound up as a coil spring, was his usual tense self. Not for the first time she wondered if that intensity and often-time rudeness was his way of compensating for his lack of stature. He certainly was the most diminutive circus strongman she’d ever met. His colleague, the Spectacular Silva, as he called himself, was a very different kettle of fish. A man of much more refined bearings, he was far more difficult to figure out. She had always found both of them adorable, each in his own way. It said a lot that both of them had teamed up on her like this. It was an unusual variant of their long-lasting triangle of passion and rivalry.

She knew why they were both here now. Only yesterday she’d had a long talk with their ringmaster. She had invested as much as a whole afternoon to convince him that a slight reordering of acts would do a whole world of good for their show. Mister Gold had been sceptical in the beginning, but he had folded quickly when she had presented him with her reasons; after all, her performance had been the most riveting act of the circus for months now. It was only right and proper that she was given the most prominent slot, the most sought after placing in the order of appearances. It had been a most pleasant afternoon indeed and a successful one, too.

Naturally her two dear colleagues were jealous now, which was the reason for their hovering at her trailer’s doorstep.

“Gentlemen, why don’t you come inside?” she asked, giving them a carefully calculated friendly smile, motioning them towards a small bench that was set to one side of her lavishly furnished trailer-room. Privately she called it her admirer’s bench. Men and women alike were placed there quite regularly, eager to spend time in the Lady Zephyr’s presence.

The two men stepped inside and did as they were told. They appeared to be surprised about her invitation, and especially Mister Iron seemed to be more than little suspicious.

Looking at them, she felt her smile widen. There they sat, side-by-side like a pair of school-boys that, having been called into the head-mistress’ office, were suddenly turning into the epitome of well-behaved respect.

Pulling her dressing chair close and in front of them, she sat down, too, artfully arranging the silken garments she’d already donned for her upcoming performance.

“Gentlemen,” she addressed them once more, her smile turning intimate. “I understand your surprise at our ringmaster’s decision.” Leaning forward, she reached out to them, lightly placing the fingertips of both her hands on the respective knee of each man. “Believe me, suggesting a change in the order of our acts wasn’t an action I undertook lightly. I most certainly didn’t mean to cause any discontent, but when push comes to shove it’s all about the show, isn’t it?”

Letting her gaze acquire a softly pleading quality, she looked at her colleagues, gruff Mister Iron and suave Mister Silva, noticing with satisfaction that already a slight mellowing was suffusing their features. She was all too aware of the effect her mere presence and attention had on both of them, and she’d never been above using it to achieve her own objectives. Further reminding them that her actions were motivated by her considerations for the success of the show was always the best move to make after one of their occasional disagreements. It was a sure way to appeal to their professionalism and their honour as artists. Unfortunately she hadn’t much time to soothe their wounded pride right now. Soon she would be called into the ring, but she was confident she would at least be able to make a start along the path to reconciliation.

“Gentlemen,” she said again, when suddenly a new idea struck her, an idea both shocking and daring, yet utterly too delicious to refuse. “Maybe it’s time to move our long-lasting, yet purely professional relationship to a new plane.” She licked her lips delicately, letting her eyes flick back and forth between both men, before lowering her eyes in such a demurely fashion, she could barely supress the altogether inappropriate chuckle that threatened to well up in her throat.

Her glances had shown her as much hope as eagerness on both their faces. She was sure she had managed to win them at least halfway over again with just these few well-placed words, even though she had chosen them without much thinking about them beforehand. It was something she did sometimes.

Now, however, her own careful hinting was already leading her mind into imagining a whole series of possible arrangements between the three of them, and some of these arrangements held such an alluring charm it was equally scandalous and captivating. Sometimes she even managed to surprise herself, she thought with amusement.

The caller’s cry from outside, letting her know that it was almost time for her performance, interrupted her private musings. Decisively and quickly she pulled herself together and rose to her feet. She noticed the looks of slight alarm on both the men’s faces as they followed her movements with avid looks. They still looked halfway in trance. Possibly they too had been caught up in contemplations of their own as to what exactly she might have meant by speaking about a new plane in their relationship.

Looking down at them, she decided to heighten their expectations just a little bit more. “Gentlemen,” she said, turning her voice into a caress as she addressed them once again. “It’s time for our show, I believe.” She turned and strode to the trailer-room’s entrance. There she paused. Turning her head and throwing them a coquettish look over her shoulder, she added, “Later, however, I wouldn’t be adverse to a more private performance.” With that last parting shot and without waiting for any reply she strode out.

She had won, and she knew it. These two would be putty in her hands, now. The specific solution she hadn’t seen coming herself, but it offered such delightful possibilities. Who was she to deny herself (and them) the fun of exploration?

She paused for a moment, looking at the brightly coloured circus-tent in front of her. She chuckled, and then laughed out loud, a sound as intoxicating and pearly as a freshly opened bottle of champagne. Yes, she thought again, who was she? She was the undisputed star of the circus and right now, right here, she was more than ready to lay claim to it all.


End file.
